To celebrate Union Square’s sizzling food landscape, the Somerville Arts Council brings you: Ignite, an evening of international eats, fire throwers, roving entertainment, and a raucous celebration of global culture. Saturday, August 10 (rain date: August 11), in Union Square. $2.00 donation.

In addition to many local food vendors, there will be: food demos, including a presentation from the Nibble Kitchen; food-themed activities, featuring a flaming curry eating contest (ongoing, with a sit-down curry speed eating contest at 7:30); numerous performers (see lineup on next page), and to top it all off, salsa dance instruction directly followed by a festival-wide dance party to close out the night! And please don’t forget to B.Y.O.W.B (bring your own water bottle), as the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority will be bringing their Quench Buggy to Ignite! You will be able to fill up your water bottle as many times as you want at the Quench Buggy, which will be located at the heart of the festival.

About Nibble:

A Somerville Arts Council initiative that includes market tours, cooking classes, food festivals, and the Nibble Culinary Entrepreneurship Program. And coming soon this summer, expect a Nibble kitchen with a rotating menu at Bow Market in Union Square! Nibble Kitchen will provide a space for entrepreneurs who are predominantly female and hail from our rich immigrant communities to test out restaurant concepts in a low-risk environment before launching independent businesses. Nibble supports immigrant communities, celebrates cultural exchange and spurs cultural and economic development.